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TDM #1
TDM #1
DREAMING
At first, there is nothing. You are nothing. Whatever existed before ceases to be if for a moment. Then, bit by bit, you start to become aware. Where there was not even darkness now is a dim haze, gentle and almost mist-like. You have limbs again and beneath your feet lays a path of light reaching out like limbs of a great tree beneath you, twisting and climbing out into the horizon.You take a step forward for what else is there to do? As you walk you begin to remember what it was you were doing before the nothingness; maybe something as simple as chatting with a loved one or close friend. Maybe you were just beginning a great journey or facing off against an old foe. Whatever it was, you get the distinct feeling that wherever and whenever that was, it is not here. Not now.
The path of light twists off into different directions. When you look up you can see that it is not a sky above you but the sky of everything, a grand cosmic tapestry littered with not mere stars but galaxies and clusters of galaxies that gleam like crystals against the velvety backdrop of space. Admire it for a moment, if you will. You don't know how long you will drift here, but you are not alone. Other wanderers will come and go as you bask together in the vastness of creation.
It seems to you that there are two paths to walk in this place, the light and dark beckoning in turn.
❖ THE LIGHT AT THE CENTER
One leads you to the center, splintered fragments folding together and colliding until only one thing remains: a light that speaks to you with the voice of all there is and has ever been. It greets you simultaneously as an old friend and as a lost child, both rejoicing in and mourning your arrival. You remember it too, somehow, with a feeling of complex nostalgia, as if returning to a place recalled from your distant childhood.
You’ll feel the same of the other wanderers that join you in the light; you know their faces, their voices, and as you reflect upon the world of your birth, you may witness fragments of theirs as well. You feel a comradery, then, a synchronicity of thought and emotion. Are the lives of others truly so different from your own? Or are you simply two hands of the same, greater being? Though some individualistic part of you may resist, the longer you spend in the light, the more you will find yourself becoming one with it.
Despite this welcoming call, no matter how eagerly your pursue its embrace, before you can fully submerge yourself in this oneness you will find yourself being torn away. As if seized by the impossibly long, cold arm of a creature unseen, you are plucked from the edge of fulfillment. The last thing you will remember is the sensation of your world, and all the others your experienced here, collapsing into nothingness.
❖ THE DARK OUTSIDE (CW: deep despair, ego death)
The other leads towards the outside, where the splintering becomes so great that the vestiges of reality can do nothing but collapse back into the abyss at the end of everything. As you wander to these barren outskirts, your thoughts will not be drawn to familiarity and oneness, but instead to memories of discontent and waste. The darker the path becomes, the more you find yourself dwelling on life’s disappointments and injustices, of the things about yourself and your world you find wanting.
If you see others here, at first they will feel frightening or contemptible, as if representing to you the worst experiences in your life. Even if they are someone you’re certain you know, that familiarity and affection will be stripped away in the face of the great emptiness before you. In the end, you were all the same. In the end, none of this was worth it. If you approach the end together, you may even form a kind of kinship around this acknowledgment, as the need for paranoia and hatred fades.
Slowly, the darkness encroaches, and you can see it devouring all the things you once knew. Memories of your home, of those you loved, dissolve into nothing, and you can only reflect on the barren emptiness in your heart as you see it happen. In your final moments, though, you feel peace with it all, knowing that there was no other way. You step from the edge of the last dwindling fragment of being and are greeted by silence.
❖ THE END
No matter which way you go, you are left with a single impression: you feel the world you came from die. It's a realization that transcends logic or sense; it weighs on your heart and leaves the vestiges of dark memories dancing in your thoughts like motes of ash. It's a memory of your home crumbling away into nothing as if consumed from within by rot. Returned to the void, all that's left to you is to be reborn.
REBIRTH
In a new time and place, you awaken. Stirring within a capsule of warmth and isolation your senses will slowly return, only to observe that you are trapped. Your body, as it wakes, is tangled in close, yours eyes unable to open, as if still within the womb. You are held tight in the embrace of something unyielding, so smothering that at first you only have the strength to struggle for moments at a time. Yet, as you persist, the pressure begins to relent in turn; it may take hours, but eventually you will find the purchase to push, to claw, to fight, and it will all give way.The chrysalis surrounding you bends like flesh and cracks like glass. It tears as you force your fingers through, finding liberation one inch at a time, until finally you have emerged. As if having undergone metamorphosis, you feel old and new all at once. You are weak, piteously so, but the markings and scars of your previous life remain. As you slump down upon the smooth cavern stone, you realize that you've just wrenched yourself free of gigantic crystal, though its hollow, shimmering form is now in pieces on account of your passing. Somewhere on your body, a shard of similar material remains embedded.
The cave itself looks almost like the inside of a geode, the walls and ceiling bedazzled with greyish crystal that shines with all the colors of the rainbow. While they vary wildly in size and shape, only a few have grown large enough to hold a form like yours, and you can see the one you just escaped isn't the only one bearing a passenger within. They may have already hatched, or they may still be lingering in stasis. Either way, there's enough time that you may have a chance to speak to yours unexpected peers, or to perhaps to struggle to find something to cover your naked body with. You feel the chill of the open air against your moisture laden skin, a distant light trickling in through the cavern's opening.
Make the most of this time. It won't be long before you're interrupted.
[Mod Note: If you don't want to deal with your character being naked in front of the others at that location, feel free to assume they emerge at a different time than the others of their legacy. Characters will be 'hatching' over a period of several hours.]
CAPTIVITY
It seems that someone was waiting for you to arrive, and not in the most friendly of ways. Though the specifics of who comes to get you will vary according to which legacy shrine your character awakens at, there are certain commonalities: most notably, how they are ostensibly here to capture and imprison you. It's easy for them, all considered. You can barely stand, so fresh out of your chrysalis, and whatever powers or special abilities you may have had will not answer your call. Even worse, your would be captors are well equipped for the job.
Each group arrives with several 'whips' made of unknown materials. What makes them so special only become obvious when one of them inevitable snakes its way around your body. Whether it be your ankle or your neck, being bound by these cords puts you under the influence of whoever is holding the other end of your leash. Your mind remains untouched, but you will find yourself physically incapable of performing physical actions that go against their will. While the possibilities are frightening, thankfully they all just seem to want one thing: for you to come along as a good little prisoner and to not cause any of them too much trouble.
The rest depends on your character's legacy:
❖ THE LOVER
The small island the shrine is built upon is approached by several modest boats with colorful sails. They carry what appears to be a collection of fearful fisherfolk and town guards. They are reluctant to speak with those being pulled out of the shrine or even look them in the eye. If they have their choice, the entire process will be done in silence. If you try too hard to upset them, the guards will sternly bring you to heel.
❖ THE CELEBRANT
The infrastructure of an entire festival ground seems to be built around this shrine, and as a result, there are an usual amount of people present. While most keep their distance, a few will engage with the local guards that arrive to capture the Aions, complaining that this is going to interfere with their preparations for the upcoming Lover’s Festival. They are pushed aside in short order, and the rest of the retrieval will be done in a stern but business-like manner.
❖ THE MARTYR
At first, those arriving to capture the Aions will be hesitant to even enter the barren crater this shrine is held within. Once the presence of the new arrivals becomes clear, however, they will run in as if crossing the no man’s land of a battlefield and complete their work with gusto. It appears to be mostly military folk and they seem to lack any patience or sympathy for those they capture.
❖ THE SOVEREIGN
The captors here seem to be a mixed bag, almost as if two separate squadrons have arrived at the same time. One is a gathering of people who give off the impression of mountain folk, while the others are well armored soldiers. Though it will be hard to make out the specifics, there seems to be some manner of disagreement between these two parties over what should be done, but the ones kitted out in full military attire win out in the end. By then, they are completely out of patience for further resistance.
❖ THE ARTISAN
The people here seem to have mixed feelings about your arrival. On one hand, it seems to be a moment of considerable trepidation, on the other, they seem unbearably curious about your nature. They will ask questions about any unusual features you have, or what your skills are, while others from the group try just as hard to shush them. Ultimately, they don’t seem that enthusiastic about having to capture you, but they also don’t seem to think they have much choice.
❖ THE INNOCENT
Among rolling hills of flowers, at first it seems as if this shrine may not be visited at all. Before the arriving Aions can escape it, though - naked and weakened as they are - a group of fairly normal looking townsfolk will arrive. They pause as they spot you near the shrine, almost like they are hesitating about coming at all. In the end, they will converge upon you and ask for you to please cooperate. They won’t hurt you, as long as you come with them.
❖ THE SEEKER
Armored soldiers are the ones to first pull you from the shrine, but as you arrive outside of it you'll see that it is situated at the edge of a great forest. An ancient observatory is build into the cliff face behind the shrine, and your captors are apparently in the process of negotiating with a series of robed individuals that have emerged from it. According to them, the soldiers kidnapping you are trespassing. Unfortunately, they are not the ones with weapons.
❖ THE WANDERER
When you first emerge from the shrine, it will appear as if you have just missed a skirmish. There are a few bodies scattered about, all wearing woodland armor made of leather and fur. The victors, it seems, come in the form of fully armored soldiers. Thoroughly irritated by the fight that just happened, they will not waste time on niceties. If you try to ask them what just happened, the best you may get is a sneer about ‘those damn forest people.’ You may spot a couple more bodies on the trail leading out of the forest as well.
❖ THE FIREBRAND
The first thing to be seen beyond the cavern entrance is a sheer drop into a raging canyon river far below you, with only a narrow path leading up the steep cliff face. It would be a difficult situation, even without black-cloaked warriors making their way down it to collect you. Struggle too much and you'll be at risk of being thrown into the chasm. These masked assailants are largely unmoved by your protests and will drag you the entire way up the cliff if you force them to. "Your soul will be claimed," they say.
❖ THE VISIONARY
The view from the mouth of the cavern is awe inspiring, revealing the foreign shapes of a world you've never seen before. Unfortunately, the altitude of this shrine means you will also be greeted with sharp wind and biting cold. Fortunately, or not, a party of mountaineers and three black-cloaked warriors will arrive to collect you. Despite their seeming inability to defy the orders of the warriors, the mountaineers will toss you some shoes and blankets for the trek down, even if they are taken away from you later. If the warriors speak at all, it's mostly in the form of ominous utterances.
❖ THE CHAMPION
Even if one were to stagger out of the shrine's cavern before being approached, the Aions arriving here will swiftly find themselves in a hopeless situation. Not only are there soldiers here to collect there is a moderately sized military barracks built around the shrine itself, and this particular squadron is not on your side. You will be swarmed before you can get far at all. There seems to be a mix of two squadrons here, some wearing heavy armor and red accents, while the others wear full face masks and dark cloaks.
Once you've been captured and pulled from the shrine, you will given a formless white gown made of moderately comfortable fabric, with sleeves reaching your elbows and its bottom reaching down past your knees. You will not be given pants or shoes. You're in for a journey, apparently - no matter who plucked you from the cave, most of the heavily armored soldiers in the prompts above will turn out to be 'Hylician soldiers', while the smaller number of black-robed warriors are referred to 'Achamites'. After the initial dealings with the shrines, all prisoners will be passed off to a squadron of Hylicians, though a few Achamites may follow along depending on the location.
Where are you all going? Back to Hylici, apparently.
Each group arrives with several 'whips' made of unknown materials. What makes them so special only become obvious when one of them inevitable snakes its way around your body. Whether it be your ankle or your neck, being bound by these cords puts you under the influence of whoever is holding the other end of your leash. Your mind remains untouched, but you will find yourself physically incapable of performing physical actions that go against their will. While the possibilities are frightening, thankfully they all just seem to want one thing: for you to come along as a good little prisoner and to not cause any of them too much trouble.
The rest depends on your character's legacy:
❖ THE LOVER
The small island the shrine is built upon is approached by several modest boats with colorful sails. They carry what appears to be a collection of fearful fisherfolk and town guards. They are reluctant to speak with those being pulled out of the shrine or even look them in the eye. If they have their choice, the entire process will be done in silence. If you try too hard to upset them, the guards will sternly bring you to heel.
❖ THE CELEBRANT
The infrastructure of an entire festival ground seems to be built around this shrine, and as a result, there are an usual amount of people present. While most keep their distance, a few will engage with the local guards that arrive to capture the Aions, complaining that this is going to interfere with their preparations for the upcoming Lover’s Festival. They are pushed aside in short order, and the rest of the retrieval will be done in a stern but business-like manner.
❖ THE MARTYR
At first, those arriving to capture the Aions will be hesitant to even enter the barren crater this shrine is held within. Once the presence of the new arrivals becomes clear, however, they will run in as if crossing the no man’s land of a battlefield and complete their work with gusto. It appears to be mostly military folk and they seem to lack any patience or sympathy for those they capture.
❖ THE SOVEREIGN
The captors here seem to be a mixed bag, almost as if two separate squadrons have arrived at the same time. One is a gathering of people who give off the impression of mountain folk, while the others are well armored soldiers. Though it will be hard to make out the specifics, there seems to be some manner of disagreement between these two parties over what should be done, but the ones kitted out in full military attire win out in the end. By then, they are completely out of patience for further resistance.
❖ THE ARTISAN
The people here seem to have mixed feelings about your arrival. On one hand, it seems to be a moment of considerable trepidation, on the other, they seem unbearably curious about your nature. They will ask questions about any unusual features you have, or what your skills are, while others from the group try just as hard to shush them. Ultimately, they don’t seem that enthusiastic about having to capture you, but they also don’t seem to think they have much choice.
❖ THE INNOCENT
Among rolling hills of flowers, at first it seems as if this shrine may not be visited at all. Before the arriving Aions can escape it, though - naked and weakened as they are - a group of fairly normal looking townsfolk will arrive. They pause as they spot you near the shrine, almost like they are hesitating about coming at all. In the end, they will converge upon you and ask for you to please cooperate. They won’t hurt you, as long as you come with them.
❖ THE SEEKER
Armored soldiers are the ones to first pull you from the shrine, but as you arrive outside of it you'll see that it is situated at the edge of a great forest. An ancient observatory is build into the cliff face behind the shrine, and your captors are apparently in the process of negotiating with a series of robed individuals that have emerged from it. According to them, the soldiers kidnapping you are trespassing. Unfortunately, they are not the ones with weapons.
❖ THE WANDERER
When you first emerge from the shrine, it will appear as if you have just missed a skirmish. There are a few bodies scattered about, all wearing woodland armor made of leather and fur. The victors, it seems, come in the form of fully armored soldiers. Thoroughly irritated by the fight that just happened, they will not waste time on niceties. If you try to ask them what just happened, the best you may get is a sneer about ‘those damn forest people.’ You may spot a couple more bodies on the trail leading out of the forest as well.
❖ THE FIREBRAND
The first thing to be seen beyond the cavern entrance is a sheer drop into a raging canyon river far below you, with only a narrow path leading up the steep cliff face. It would be a difficult situation, even without black-cloaked warriors making their way down it to collect you. Struggle too much and you'll be at risk of being thrown into the chasm. These masked assailants are largely unmoved by your protests and will drag you the entire way up the cliff if you force them to. "Your soul will be claimed," they say.
❖ THE VISIONARY
The view from the mouth of the cavern is awe inspiring, revealing the foreign shapes of a world you've never seen before. Unfortunately, the altitude of this shrine means you will also be greeted with sharp wind and biting cold. Fortunately, or not, a party of mountaineers and three black-cloaked warriors will arrive to collect you. Despite their seeming inability to defy the orders of the warriors, the mountaineers will toss you some shoes and blankets for the trek down, even if they are taken away from you later. If the warriors speak at all, it's mostly in the form of ominous utterances.
❖ THE CHAMPION
Even if one were to stagger out of the shrine's cavern before being approached, the Aions arriving here will swiftly find themselves in a hopeless situation. Not only are there soldiers here to collect there is a moderately sized military barracks built around the shrine itself, and this particular squadron is not on your side. You will be swarmed before you can get far at all. There seems to be a mix of two squadrons here, some wearing heavy armor and red accents, while the others wear full face masks and dark cloaks.
Once you've been captured and pulled from the shrine, you will given a formless white gown made of moderately comfortable fabric, with sleeves reaching your elbows and its bottom reaching down past your knees. You will not be given pants or shoes. You're in for a journey, apparently - no matter who plucked you from the cave, most of the heavily armored soldiers in the prompts above will turn out to be 'Hylician soldiers', while the smaller number of black-robed warriors are referred to 'Achamites'. After the initial dealings with the shrines, all prisoners will be passed off to a squadron of Hylicians, though a few Achamites may follow along depending on the location.
Where are you all going? Back to Hylici, apparently.
WAITING
After you've been handed off to the the Hylician military, you have a long road ahead of you. Loaded up onto carts, and then eventually onto river borne boats, the people collected at the shrines will all be brought to a forest in the center of Horos. Along the way, the squadron ferrying you will combine with others from neighboring shrines, more and more captives arriving in your group the closer to your destination you get. Along the way you will be fed and watered well enough (though only with military rations), and at night you will be given flimsy bedrolls to sleep around the fire with. Captives will be under constant watch by the Hylician guard, and anyone who shows any signs of resistance will be required to be bound by one of those magic whips, usually around the ankle or wrist. The rest of the trip is spent being pulled along in carts or the storage bays of boats. After the groups start converging, captives of the same legacy will not necessarily be kept together.
The final muster point of the Hylicians and their captives will be among forest ruins. For what purpose you have arrived they will not say, but the entire group will be camping there until preparations are complete. Sadly, you won't be allowed much space to explore - not without being bound and under watch. If you've behaved yourself it's possible to move about the central ruins, but only if the guards are confident they'll be able to wrangle you when necessary. It does allow for moderately private conversations along the pillars and walls of the ruins, but venturing out into the forest itself is definitely out of the question.
From beginning to end, characters will spent about two weeks in transit and waiting in the ruins. To what end is yet to be seen, but if you listen closely, you may hear whispers of a 'ritual space' being prepared.
QUESTIONS
Are everyone's homeworlds really gone?
That's a complicated issue, and while the fate of their world is not without hope, they may certainly get the impression its been destroyed from the dream they had. Alternatively, they may refuse to believe what they felt and attempt to dismiss it as only a vision. More about this situation will be revealed as the game goes on.
Can I only experience one end of the dream sequence prompt?
Characters may experience one ending, both endings, or neither. If they experience both they will struggle to recall which came first or which feels the most 'true' to them, as both will simultaneously be the thought they are reborn with. If your character refuses to pursue either path they can simply linger in the middle until the infinite worlds above them start being extinguished one by one, eventually expelling them into darkness in a similar style to the light prompt. Which dreams they experience will not dictate their intial sect affiliation.
Is it possible to pull another character back from the end of the light or darkness dreams?
Yes! If your character is able to resist the pull of either end, they will have the chance to try to pull another character back from the edge of the abyss or the edge of oneness. Whether or not they succeed is entirely up to the other character, though.
Do you come out of the chrysalis wet?
For most intents and purposes it's the same experience as hatching out of a real butterfly chrysalis, so yes, a bit.
Can my character resist the influence of the whips?
Those possessed of particularly strong wills may be able to struggle with the whip's control in brief spurts, but not long enough to make a full escape attempt. They may be able to take an impotent swing at one of the guards or fight against being pulled along, though. Naturally, doing this will indicate to the Hylicians that you are a problem, and their handling of you will become harsher the more it occurs.
How cruel will the Hylicians be to the player characters?
The Hylician military are not friendly people and come across as being a bit callous even at the best of times. However, unless you provoke them, they will be primarily focused on just getting the job done with as few interruption as possible. If your character makes a habit of pissing them off, either by constantly fighting back or just by being persistently obnoxious, their treatment will get worse. If driven to it, they may take the opportunity to take out their frustrations on particularly troublesome prisoners, via physical punishment, humiliation, or deprivation.
That's a complicated issue, and while the fate of their world is not without hope, they may certainly get the impression its been destroyed from the dream they had. Alternatively, they may refuse to believe what they felt and attempt to dismiss it as only a vision. More about this situation will be revealed as the game goes on.
Can I only experience one end of the dream sequence prompt?
Characters may experience one ending, both endings, or neither. If they experience both they will struggle to recall which came first or which feels the most 'true' to them, as both will simultaneously be the thought they are reborn with. If your character refuses to pursue either path they can simply linger in the middle until the infinite worlds above them start being extinguished one by one, eventually expelling them into darkness in a similar style to the light prompt. Which dreams they experience will not dictate their intial sect affiliation.
Is it possible to pull another character back from the end of the light or darkness dreams?
Yes! If your character is able to resist the pull of either end, they will have the chance to try to pull another character back from the edge of the abyss or the edge of oneness. Whether or not they succeed is entirely up to the other character, though.
Do you come out of the chrysalis wet?
For most intents and purposes it's the same experience as hatching out of a real butterfly chrysalis, so yes, a bit.
Can my character resist the influence of the whips?
Those possessed of particularly strong wills may be able to struggle with the whip's control in brief spurts, but not long enough to make a full escape attempt. They may be able to take an impotent swing at one of the guards or fight against being pulled along, though. Naturally, doing this will indicate to the Hylicians that you are a problem, and their handling of you will become harsher the more it occurs.
How cruel will the Hylicians be to the player characters?
The Hylician military are not friendly people and come across as being a bit callous even at the best of times. However, unless you provoke them, they will be primarily focused on just getting the job done with as few interruption as possible. If your character makes a habit of pissing them off, either by constantly fighting back or just by being persistently obnoxious, their treatment will get worse. If driven to it, they may take the opportunity to take out their frustrations on particularly troublesome prisoners, via physical punishment, humiliation, or deprivation.
no subject
some have brushed off his questions or merely given him the shortest and most brusque (read: uninteresting) of answers, so when the silver-haired man seems to think so deeply on it, makoto decides to settle in to wait to see what the outcome may be, head canted slightly to one side and a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
ah, but he's a livelier one than so many of their fellow dour captives. it's a welcome change of pace. the demon plays off of the energy, similarly leaning to listen in on the priest as he lowers his voice to a more conspiratorial tone, setting the guards in their mutual gaze. where some might recoil from their personal space being invaded, makoto doesn't seem to mind a bit. instead he seems purely rapt in his attention to the stranger's reply, though by the end his smile has taken more firmly taken place and a few light chuckles are shaking his shoulders. )
I can't say I have. Though such colorful options for human sacrifice would certainly make for an exciting and unique end to all of our lives.
( said so blithely, so cheerily... )
Another question then, sir, if you wouldn't mind: for what reason do you think they've gone to such lengths to gather us all us like this, if what you've suggested is their final ends?
no subject
Abel's approach has been a bit different. Makoto's, too, seems to differ from the norm. what that says about either of them...? well, suppose all of that is in the eye of the beholder-- but regardless, Abel is quite glad to have someone to converse with and play along with this game. a little levity (you know, levity? discussing human sacrifice?? levity!!) is a welcome diversion from the dejected, sad slope of shoulders so many wear around them. ]
Ah, ah. You see, my friend, [ because surely they're friends now, Makoto and Abel, ] I've been mulling over that very thing ever since the word ritual has been passed around like a hot potato, mm? Speaking of, a hot potato sounds... lovely, right about now, ah--
[ he may be curling slightly inward, a hand to his stomach. rations...... are utterly unsatisfying. --but he catches himself digressing and quickly moves along, ]
--A-anyway. I won't pretend to begin to grasp what our, ah. Usefulness? Is. But... you know, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that maybe our means of... arriving here, or... awakening? [ a vague, sweeping gesture, as if this could encapsulate the entire mess breaking out of a crystal cocoon might entail, ] Has something to do with it. Given us some kind of... hm. Significance? You know, in ancient times, many were sacrificed to their gods for qualities that were perceived sacred. People born under a special star, or during a significant time of the year, or after some kind of ominous portent of the end, so on and so forth...
[ it's not every day dozens of people are hatched from crystals where Abel's from, so... as far as guesses go? this is good as he's got. ]
I suppose it won't be terribly long before we find out one way or another, right? Ah. N... not a terribly comforting thought, admittedly. --But maybe you have a far less morbid and far more enlightening speculation, sir...?
[ haha yes Makoto, as bright a ray of optimism as he's appeared in the five seconds they've been talking, surely he'll brighten this convo right on up!! yes can't wait 😊🙏 ]
no subject
so long as they are well-taken care of, he's mostly content to scrounge up what information he can and wait for their next move. it's not as though he has the power to do much else, considering how stripped-down his demonic capabilities seem to be in this place.
he has no idea if this stranger's reasoning for being so nonchalant in the face of the unknown align with his own, but, in the end, he doesn't really care. it doesn't matter! he avails himself as an amiable enough conversational partner when most else are content to grunt half their replies and turn a cold shoulder just when topics were turning towards something interesting. it's an amusement to hear the man refer to him as his friend — surely this is the fastest time he's ever made one of those, though the word is pretty paper-thin and flimsy when applied to makoto — and he's happy to accompany him down the meandering pathways of his speech, thoroughly entertained and never seeming distracted or inattentive. )
I hope not. It's not as though there's much for us to do but speculate until that time, regardless.
( his thoughts had turned down similar avenues as abel's had — it certainly had something to do with how they arrived here, and where, considering they were so prepared to collect them. the cavern that the soldiers had found makoto and the others he'd awoken with had been quite out of the way, and there'd been no one else inside. how, then, did they know? he could only think that they either did the summoning themselves and knew what the results could be. what other explanations could there be?
he chuckles at the leading question, raising a hand in a disarming gesture. ) Oh, I don't know about that — ( when given a chance, makoto will basically always tend towards the macabre... ) though I find in general I agree with you. I have to imagine what draws their interest is ( he raises one finger ) how it is we've arrived here or ( he raises a second ) something having to do with the places that we've left behind. Or perhaps both! Regardless of what the answer is, though... ( now he lifts that hand to his chin, pondering a moment before he continues, ) We possess something that they either want... or that they want to destroy, before it can cause trouble.
no subject
Abel mulls those words over with a little more weightiness than the rest, the barest hint of sobriety crossing blue eyes -- but the moment passes, and it's gone and tucked back away into the veil if amicability and comfortable conversation. another potential motivation of their captors to be filed away with the ever-growing list of options... none of which will help him sleep tonight, unfortunately!! thanks Makoto, ]
You know, I was trying to prompt you to say something heartening, just then? [ bro? why would you continue down Macabre Lane, bro.... ] I get the distinct impression you're sharp enough to have caught that, too-- so I'm very mildly upset you chose not to tell me a placating lie, sir. Are you simply so honest a soul you couldn't bear the thought of fabricating a tale about... oh, I don't know-- how this is one of those, um. What do they call them? --Escape rooms! But instead of an escape room, it's like... [ he gestures, broadly, with his hands in a completely ineffectual manner. it conveys nothing except, perhaps, idiocy, ] ...it's like-- ah. An escape... experience!! And when we reach the end, they'll lead us to a fake volcano and pretend to throw us in, but someone's waiting for us at the bottom to take our picture as we fall, screaming, violently cursing our inevitable ends only to find ourselves saved? Oh-- and that person is sure to make some highly embarrassing commentary about the expression on our faces, so on and so forth--?
[ a flawless deduction, certainly.
this conversation sure is going places. ]
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ah, but this is the game that they are playing? fine by him. it's not as though more feasible speculation would do anything for their odds to get out of here, and it's at the very least an interesting change in pace. )
My apologies, my apologies, ( makoto says breezily with a wave of one hand, ) Where I'm from, no one really has the time or the wherewithal for levity. ( a lie: most demons love to seep themselves in luxury when they can. it was just makoto that didn't allow himself such a thing — not when there was a vicious path to vengeance to be razed. ) If that's what you're looking for, then I can tell you one theory I've been working on that is supported by quite a few pieces of evidence I've across. I have reason to believe that we are all... being inducted into a high selective and extremely exclusive club. But in order to accept our membership and provide to us all of the benefits and features, they have to make sure that we're of the right substance. And so, ( a broad, sweeping gesture to their overall guarded confinement, ) our being brought and kept here. It's all part of the hazing. We just have to tough it out for just a little while longer and — that's when the ritual comes in! But it's really just an induction ceremony. No bloodletting or live volcanoes required.
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--Yes!! [ an eager, enthusiastic and extremely excited agreement bursts out of him as Makoto finishes his exposition, ] --Yes, that's GOT to be it!! That makes so much more sense than the fake volcano thing, sir, you-- you are a GENIUS!!
[ and hopefully Makoto isn't the sort of -- man?? demon?? ...de-man?? -- who prizes his personal space, because Abel is abruptly and with great vehemence reaching out to capture at least one of Makoto's hands between Abel's own. clutching at it with a delight in his eyes, a touched and moved sentiment that chases away all hints of anything else in its wake... the priest looks upon his new, dear friend who has lit the flame of hope in his gut anew. ]
Wh-when you say it like that, it seems like we haven't a thing to be concerned with, right...?! I mean-- surely we're merely enduring a trial meant to steel us for accepting the bounties awaiting us at the end of our travels with humility and grace~! A classic tactic...!!
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makoto smiles broadly, nodding his mute support of both abel's excited agreement and his assertions to how brilliant he is. the chances that this really is some elaborate hazing for an ultra-exclusive club are slim to none, but at least he recognizes the demon's brilliance.
whether or not he places much value in his personal space is at the very least not indicated when the man reaches out to clasp one of makoto's hands between his own. he doesn't seem the slightest bit perturbed, instead regarding abel with an almost beatific benevolence.
gratitude has always been an emotion that makoto can appreciate. you can usually extract information or favors from it in the future, if necessary. )
Certainly. ( he speaks with such placid ease that one would want to believe him. ) All of the others that couldn't handle this trial with grace, who spent their time fighting with the guards instead of waiting patiently... These are obviously the type they wouldn't want among their esteemed personage. So all we have to do is stay the course, and we will be rewarded for it in the end.
( it's a sweet lie, isn't it? humans love those dearly. )
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in fact, Abel is reveling in the fact that Makoto not only seems to relish in this praise, but that the priest isn't being shunned for offering it with such fervor; this is rarity for him, and perhaps a (potentially fool-hardy?) encouragement. whether or not Makoto would come to regret humoring his newfound 'friend,' only time can tell...
so he's releasing one of the demon's hands so he might hastily swipe at his eyes, misty for the flood of genuine relief as much as gratitude. after days of being hauled about and prodded with no more grace than cattle, a little human(?) kindness sure does go a long way, doesn't it...? ]
Thank goodness... Y-you know, I'm a man of very delicate constitution, I... I'm not made for this kind of manhandling, sir-- I'm really not!! Perhaps someone like you can't relate, but...
[ being so STRONG and COOL as he is and all, this Makoto..... ]
--Ah. But, you... ah. [ Abel is having a Thought, here, as something the demon's said sits a tad uncomfortably in his stomach. slowly and gingerly, he's releasing Makoto from his reverent grasp, ] You don't think our, um... more... energetic friends are-- are going to be...
[ ... ]
I mean-- surely they'll be coming with us, right...?
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though, given how he continues... that might be questionable. makoto's expression falls a degree as he thinks something along the lines of, if you're going to compliment me, at least make it a little more believable...
because this demon looks like he probably weighs a hundred pounds soaking wet, and even before having had all of his demonic abilities taken away from him, he'd needed the protection from bigger, stronger patrons in hell to keep him safe. )
Rest assured, it has worn on me as well, but we must both be strong. ( is all he says, diplomatically.
he retrieves his hand as it's relinquished, setting abel in a receptive gaze as he continues. ah. in the fiction that he's laying out, it's not like makoto would've cared what might happen to all of them, but this human has proven himself to be altogether more soft-hearted and, well... human.
which makoto has nothing but contempt for, but at least it makes more sense than how human other demons can seem sometimes. that's what really churns his stomach. )
Oh, of course. We will need someone to wait on us, won't we? ( his hand flips in a gesture that seems to indicate that much was obvious. )
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Abel is a complete and utter wuss, and a wet, soggy newspaper is probably better equipped for battle than he is. he's trying to sell it, anyway; his success is up in the air!! just like the fate of their 'energetic friends,' it would seem. ]
...Wa-- ah. [ he rolls that one back-- starts to repeat it, thinks better of it, and then gives it another go. ] Wait on us...? You mean, like-- servants?
[ what else might one extrapolate from that statement?? who knows, but Abel looks completely befuddled. ]
I-I mean, that's... that's certainly a better fate than the whole volcano business, and if I had to choose -- a no brainer! No brainer, of course. But... that seems a bit cruel, doesn't it?
[ or, perhaps, a cruel suggestion to be coming from his new, dear, and very close friend here... ]